HBO announced the deal on Monday, promising a "revealing" film with "unprecedented access" to Beyoncé and her family, including her daughter with Jay-Z, Blue Ivy. The documentary will incorporate concert footage, backstage clips and the star's own home movies, including material from when she was growing up in Houston, Texas. It "[strips] away the veneer of stardom," HBO said, "and charts the challenges Beyoncé felt when she decided to manage her career and build her own company, Parkwood Entertainment."

"Some of my favourite shows are on HBO, so I am excited that my film will be part of its bold programming," Beyoncé said. "This film was so personal to me, it had to have the right home."

Although Beyoncé has dabbled with directing music videos, this is her first feature-length film. She seems to be taking things one step at a time: the 31-year-old launched a Tumblr blog in April, offering photos and ephemera from her private life.

Beyoncé has sold more than 75m albums worldwide. Her latest record, 2011's 4, spent two weeks at No 1 in the UK.

Sign up for the Guardian Today

Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning.